SDR treatment will be on offer at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, Merseyside, Great Ormond Street, London, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Nottingham University Hospital and University Hospitals Bristol.

James Palmer, clinical director of specialised services at NHS England, said: “For children with cerebral palsy, being unable to walk easily can be extremely distressing and painful.

“Although current evidence is limited, SDR surgery shows real promise for some patients with mobility problems and that’s why we want to explore it further through our innovative evaluation programme.

“Not only will this enable a number of children to have potentially life-changing surgery, improving their mobility and independence, but this provides a real opportunity to gather the vital evidence we need on the effectiveness of the procedure, for the benefit of our patients.”